Third Person PoV

The final competition would begin soon. Horikita gave Kiyopon the go signal to take her place since she was facing injury on her right leg.

But Kiyopon can't do this alone.

Their class might be leading but...

He wants a guaranteed victory.

Always, a guaranteed victory.

And in order to secure it, he needs to bring back Sudo. Kiyopon's decided that he's given Sudo enough time already. It's time for him to come back, whatever means necessesary.

There he is...Kiyopon thought as he watched Sudo leaning against the dormitory walls. He wore a look of disappointment and anger, the former towards himself, and the latter towards Ryuen.

Kiyopon couldn't blame him. After all, that troublesome dragon boy had injured his closest friend and forced her to withdrew from the last event.

" Ayanokoji? What are you-....ah...you came here to tell me about the last event, right?" Sudo asked when he saw Kiyopon walking towards him.

Kiyopon nodded in response and Sudo sighed and quickly averted his gaze, " Thought so." He muttered.

Kiyopon leaned on the spot beside him, staring at nothing in particular while Sudo lets out a few hums or grumbles here and there.

" You should go back, Ayanokoji. I won't follow. It was a waste time for you to search for me."Sudo finally said.

Kiyopon turned his head towards Sudo with a curious expression.

" I almost messed things up. Imagine how many points could've been taken away from us if you hadn't stepped in. The fact that they pinned me down just makes my blood boil!" He seethed but quickly calms himself down before continuing.

" This shitty weakness of mine...about being hot headed and stuff. It, er, pisses me off even more because people remind me of it every damn day. It's not like I WANT to be angry, these fuckers just make it harder for me to be calm! But...I still can't justify shit that's my fault." He said.

" But I think I know why things are like this for me." His expression soured. " Trash born from trash....will stay as trash. That's all there is to it."

Kiyopon's eyes widened and while he instinctively searched for his notebook, he realized that it wasn't here with him. He'd forgotten that it was left in his locker for safekeeping while the festival was ongoing.

Kiyopon decides to rebuke his statement.

" You're not trash..." He said softly.

" Sorry but you don't really know shit about me, so you're opinion is worthless. Which is quite fitting for an idiot like me." Sudo was seriously self-deprecating himself.

" Ya know, my mom abandoned me and my dad when I was young. Ha, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. But bear with me would ya? " He asked.

Kiyopon nodded silently.

" Anyways, so for most of my childhood I was left with my dad. It hurts to see him working his ass off as a janitor just to make ends meet....but since I was an idiot trash piece of shit, I abandoned my studies and turned to sports. For a while, things were looking good for me when I played basketball. I even got recommended to one of the best high school basketball teams in the country! But then....as expected....I messed up because I got in trouble....and my recommendation got pulled away. I wonder how my dad feels deep inside to see his son failing over and over. Not like it'll affect me, ya know? Since deep down I already knew how trashy I am. I just hate it when people remind me of it time and time again. I keep trying but nothing is working out. We may be winning now, but if I go back there....and mess everything up.....everyone will hate me. Again." He sighed, finally finished with his rant.

" ....I stand by my statement. You're not trash."Kiyopon stated which made Sudo flinch in suprise.

" Without you, our class wouldn't have gone far in this festival. During the island exam, you also made things easier for everyone else. You're not trash, not at all. You worked hard on your basketball skills, even managed to become a starter in a span of a few months being in this school. You caused trouble, but everyone is over it." He reasoned.

" Keep trying, Sudo. Keep trying to be better. As human beings, we are destined to experience trial and error throughout our lifetime. Few just experiences error more than others, but it shouldn't stop them from trying until they find success. Until they're happy. Don't give up on yourself because everyone in our class believes in you. They...WE....need you." Kiyopon said before looking into Sudo's eyes with a calm expression.

" You're a treasure in Class D. Remember that." Kiyopon said, " Keep trying, even if you fail, even if you fall. Get back up and try again. You can take short breaks on the ground but you shouldn't stay there forever, you MUST keep moving. "

"....." Sudo was stunned. He didn't know how to respond.

Nobody had said such....kind words to him in forever. But was it enough to motivate himself to keep moving like Kiyopon said? There were still doubts in his mind that no motivational speech could permanently extinguish.

Kiyopon sighs softly before he stood up straight and slowly made his way back to the path.

" Ultimately, that's if your willing to get back up. It's all up to you. But I personally....hope you will get back up." He turns to look at Sudo one last time. " If we're going to win as Class D. Then you need to be there to celebrate with us. "

" Win? You're....confident, Ayanokoji." He managed to utter a reply.

" We've come this far. I'll make sure it won't go to waste. Your effort won't go to waste. Not this time." Kiyopon said before turning back and making his way back to the festival while Sudo was left behind to contemplate his decision.

The last event of the sports festival, the 1200-meter relay race, was about to begin.

He arrived back at Class D's tent.

" Ayanokoji-kun, there you are." Hirata waved Kiyopon over.

Kiyopon went towards him.

" Is Sudo-kun coming back? If not then....we'd have to subsitute him too..." Hirata said.

" Not yet..." Was all Kiyopon could say.

" ' Not yet' ?....Oh, I see....yes, let's wait for a bit. But I'll go ask Onodera-san if she could sub just in case." Hirata said.

Kiyopon nodded, approving the back up plan since Onodera was also athletic.

" Ayanokoji-kun, are you going to...participate for Horikita-san?" Sakura asked.

He nods.

" W-Well, I never really got the chance to say this earlier since...I was...too stunned speak..w-wait!" She shakes her head and takes a deep breath before smiling. " I'm rooting for you!"

" Thank you, Sakura." Kiyopon pats her shoulder gently which made Sakura gasp a bit in suprise but she happily smiled soon after.

" Eh~? What's going on over here, huh?" Mori hangs an arm around Sakura's shoulder with a teasing smile on her face.

" M-Mori san!" Sakura squeaked in suprise but immediately retained her calm manner.

" Good luck, Ayankoji-kun! If you win then I might just give you a little reward~" Mori giggled.

" Huh? ' R-Reward' ?!" Sakura was shocked by the suggestive tone in Mori's words!

" Reward?" Kiyopon tilted his head question while Mori laughed.

" Just kidding~ " She said, which made Sakura a bit relieved since if it were true, then she too would give Kiyopon a reward!

" By the way," Mori stopped smiling and frowned. " Is Horikita-san okay?"

Kiyopon nods. " She'll stay in the clinic for now..." He said.

" Oh.....I hope she gets better...." Mori and Sakura said.

" Man...is Ken really not coming?" Ike asked Kiyopon.

" Man! Why is he having a tantrum now! We're about to win but without Ken here, then everything might go to waste!" Yamauchi whined.

" H-Hey calm down, Haruki! We still got Ayanokoji! He's athletic! I mean, that shit he did during the volleyball match was awesome!" Ike tried to reassure his friend.

" Oh...you're right!" Yamauchi turns towards Kiyopon. " You can do it, right?" he asked.

Kiyopon shrugs.

" HE'S SHRUGGIING! NOOOOO!" Yamauchi passes out in defeat.

" HARUKIII!!!" Ike cried out.

Kiyopon sighs at this.

" Ayanokoji-kun." A voice called. Kiyopon immediately snapped his towards Suzune.

She was supporting most of her weight with her crutches, she slowly made her way towards him but she was clearly struggling.

Kiyopon immediately walked towards her and stopped her from walking.

" Why are you-" but he was interrupted.

" I can't miss the race. I want to see how it ends..." She says.

Kiyopon sighs before helping Suzune to the tent.

" Is Sudo-kun going to participate?" She asked.

Kiyopon stayed silent. Suzune immediately understood what his silence meant and stopped inquiring for now.

" Huh? Horikita-san?!" Hirata called in shock.

" Please don't mind me." Suzune said as Kiyopon sets her down gently on the seat.

Their worried classmates immediately surrounded Horikita and checked if she was okay. Suzune tried to extinguish their worries and to switch their focus on their plan but they were stubborn.

Kiyopon goes to the staff tent to get a water bottle refill.

" Kuku, we meet again." Suprisingly enough, Ryuuen was also there, right next to the water dispenser.

Kiyopon ignores him and begins filling water bottle from the dispenser while Ryuuen only chuckled and stayed by the side.

" Ishizaki and Albert told me that your grip was suprisingly strong." He mused.

" Are YOU the mastermind of Class D?" He interrogated and gauged Kiyopon's reaction.

Kiyopon drinks from his bottle, not giving Ryuuen a second of attention.

" Heh. Ignoring me, eh? Fine by me. " Ryuen shrugs. " Anyway, did that red haired dog run away? I don't see him around your tent."

Kiyopon finally looks at Ryuuen.

Ryuuen smirked. " I'm guessing he did. Ha! What a weak guy. All I had to do was to trigger his anger and he'd burst like a volcano. Though, you annoyed me by being present and effectively stopped the situation from escalating too much." He looks at Kiyopon with a suspicious gaze.

" Let me ask this again: Are you the mastermind of Class D? "

They stared at each other in silence. The tension, the atmosphere was thick.

Ryuen's eyes shifted to the side when a familiar person entered the area.

" Well, well, well....speak of the devil." Ryuuen chuckles at the boy who stopped at Kiyopon's side.

" Ayanokoji, is this guy bothering you?" Sudo asked Kiyopon without looking at this direction.

" Woah! You're suprisingly calm! Looks like I changed you for the better, huh?" Ryuen said, mockingly.

Sudo glares at him.

" Welp, I better head back to my class. Nice chat, Ayanokoji!" Ryuen laughed before walking past them both.

" You're back." Kiyopon finally spoke and turned to Sudo.

" I couldn't stay on the ground for too long. You were right. I had to get up and try again no matter how many times I fail..." Sudo chuckles. " Thank you for smacking some common sense."

"...I'm glad." Kiyopon smiles a bit.

Kiyopon felt happy to have had helped another friend with their self doubts.

In the back of his mind, in the deepest pits of his heart.

He wondered what Matsuo would think if he saw him now.

" To think you that you're the anchor." Manabu said as he lined up with Kiyopon.

" I'm assuming you're a subsitute? Suzune planned to be the anchor, right?" Manabu guesstimated.

Kiyopon nods.

" How is she..? I saw the way she fell." Manabu asked with the smallest tone of worry in his voice.

" Minor fraction. But she'll be okay in six to eight weeks." Kiyopon said which made Manabu relieved.

" I've observed your class." Manabu started. They were back to business. " I didn't think it would be too active. But you suprised me, I hadn't expected you to be co-leader."

Manabu pushed up his glasses. " Not only that, you were also shining quite a bit during the festival. Though, I doubt it attracted too much attention from most of the students."

Not for long...Kiyopon sighed in his thoughts.

Kiyopon will undoubtedly get attention in this relay. Throughout the festival, he had relied on Sudo as a shield from the spotlight, only assisting and not necessarily going too far with his own moments alone.

This time, however, is different.

Without a doubt, people are bound to pay attention to him now since he was in the anchor position.

But Kiyopon is prepared for the consequences.

Right now, the students who ran ahead were about to hand the baton to their anchors.

It was now or never.

" Senpai." He grabbed Manabu's attention.

" Hm?'

" I'll race against you seriously." He bluntly spoke.

Manabu rose a brow at that.

Kiyopon then turns to look at him.

" But you'll have to give up your chance at second place to race me." He stated.

Manabu chuckled and stood still. " Interesting...." He had already accepted.

The fifth runner passed the baton to Manabu but was completely perplexed when Manabu stood still after taking the baton. This also grabbed everyone's attention in the festival and some were confused about the spectacle before them.

" Good job." He told his runner and the student meekly accepted the compliment and returned to position.

Kiyopon lets out a deep exhale of breath as he closed his eyes....